E wildrick



M. WILDRICK.

AERIAL TORPEDO 0R MINE.

APPLICATIM FILED JAN. 2?. HM].

Putbnted J uly 8, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

M. WILDRICK.

AERIAL TORPEDO OR MINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-27,1917.

'1 09,500; Patented July 8, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

MEADE WILDRICK, OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY, ASSIGNORv OF ONE-HALF TOOSCAR I. STRAUB, OF FORT HOWARD, MARYLAND.

AERIAL TORPEDO OR MINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed January 27, 1917. Serial No. 144,967.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MEADE WILDRICK, er-

the United States Army, a citizen of the United States, stationed atFortress Monroe, in the county of Elizabeth City and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Torpedoes orMines, (Case A;) and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention such as will enable othersskilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in projectiles'adapted to .bedropped from aircraft whether aeroplanes or dirlgibles, and it consistsin providing an aerial torpedo or mine, which is capable of carrying acomparativelylarge charge of high explosive, and which may be safelytransported either by rail, boat or aircraft, and in which safety inhandling, or more especially in launching, is secured.

According to my invention the pro ectile is intended to be exploded bymeans of a delayed action percussion fuse when it strikes the deck of aship or any solid target aimed at, and which is also exploded afterstriking the water at a depth below the surface of the water by means ofa delayed action fuse.

It is well known that the danger zone of a torpedo or mine of thecharacter described varies within certain limits with the depth of theexplosion below the surface of the water and the volume of and nature ofthe explosive used; and that for heavy plated ships, such asbattleships, this danger zone may be extended twenty yards more or lessfrom the skin of the ship while for lighter craft, such as torpedo boatdestroyers or submarines the danger zone under simllar conditions mayextend as much as fifty yards more or less from the skin of the ship,therefore having a suflicient charge of high explosive and detonatingsame at a proper distance below the surface of the water, any greataccuracy in dropping a torpedo may .be dispensed with, and the torpedowill be eflicacious if it strikes either the vessel aimed at .or withina reasonable distance of the same.

My invention will be more fully understood after reference to theaccompanylng drawings, in which similar parts are 1ndicated by similarreference symbols throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 shows diagrammatically the torpedo being dropped from anaeroplane, and falling in the water between a battle-ship and asubmarine.

Fig. 2 shows one type of aerial torpedo constructed according to myinvention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 3 shows another type of aerial torpedo constructed according to myinvention, but with different means for arming the fuse parts beingshown in section.

Fig. 4 is a view on an enlarged scale showing a section through the fuseof Fig. 2, parts being shown in elevation.

Fig; 5 is a detail showing a perspective view of thecentrifugally-released lock used for holding the plunger of'the fuseshown in Fig. 4 in the safety position.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the plunger shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 shows a section through the plunger along the line 77 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a detail showing another form of safety attachment for firingthe primer, parts being shown in section,- and in the safety position.

Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the parts in the firing position.

Fig. 10 shows a section along the line 10--10 of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is a diagram showing the deck of a vessel and surrounding dangerzone.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 11, A represents an aeroplane from whichthe torpedo B is dropped, which torpedo is shown in Fig. 1 as fallingdown into the water be tween the battle-ship C and the submarine D, thetorpedo as shown being on a large scale comparative to the aeroplane,the battle-ship and the submarine.

If the torpedo containing suflicient high explosive were detonated atthe position indicated at B of Fig. 1, the probable destruction of boththe vessels C and I) would result.

In Fig. 11 the torpedo B is'shown as striking in the water-in the dangerzone, and the torpedo B is shown as striking the deck of the vessel C.The result in either case would probably be the destruction of thevessel.

Referring now to the details of construction of the torpedo and meansfor detonating the high explosive contained therein referred to in Figs.2 to 7 1 represents a shell having a large chamber 2 containing the highexplosives 3. This shell is preferably provided with a point t adaptedto penetrate the deck plate of a vessel, or even the light deck armor ofa vessel. The base 5 of the shell is provided with a delayed actionpercussion fuse 6, which is provided with a plunger 7, having the firingpoint 8, which plunger is slotted as at 9 to receive the arms 10 of thespring clip 11, which arms carry weights 12 adapted to engage the stem13 of the plunger beneath the flange 14, and thus to hold the plunger inthe safety position shown in Fig. 4, except when these arms 12 are drawnoutward by centrifugal force.

The fuse is provided with any suitable primer 15 adapted to detonateeither the main charge or the igniting charge of high explosive.

lNhen the projectile is being transported, the resilient arms 10 willspring in and will lock the plunger in the safety position; but when thefuse is spun up to a sufficient velocity these spring arms will releasethe stem of the plun erand allow the same to rest on springs 1 I Thisrotary motion of the fuse is provided by having spiral wings or vanes16, attached to the exterior of the shell, as shown in Fig. 2. Toprevent any possible premature explosion, after the same has been spunup under the action of these wings before it strikes the target, Iprovide a coil spring 17 shown most clearly in Fig. 4, which would easethe shock of the plunger falling through the short distance to saidspring when the plunger is released, but which would yield to theinertia of the plunger when the fall of the projectile is suddenlyarrested as on striking the target, or on striking the water.

The fuse is preferably of the delayed action type so that the projectilemay fall a suitable distance through the water before it ignites thebursting charge contained in the chamber of the projectile.

In the form of device shown in Figs. 3,

. 8, 9 and 10, 20 represents a propeller secured by the pin 21 on theshaft 22, which shaft is journaled in the base 5 of the projectile andcarries two semi -cylindrical weights 23, drawn toward the shaft by thespring 24, the said spring having heads 25 pressing on the outer surfaceof these weights and the spring passing through a .slot in the shaft 22.

Mounted in the chamber 26, formed in the lower ends of the blocks 23,are the two pivoted arms 27 and 2 the arm 27 having a firing point 29,and a locking notch 30 into which notch the pin 31 of the arm 28 isadapted to project when the parts are in the firing position, shown'inFig. 9. When the parts are in the safety position, shown in Fig. 8, thespring 24 draws the blocks 23 to gethcr, causing the arms 27 and 28 toswing up into the chamber 26, masking the firing point 29; but when theblocks 23 spring apart, owing to the rotary motion imparted by thepropeller 20, the hinged arms 27 and 28 will fall to the armed position,shown in Fig. 9.

To prevent premature explosion after the shaft 22 has been spun up bythe propeller 20, but before it is desired to explode the charge in theprojectile, I provide spring buffers 32 and 33, which normally supportthe weights 23, shown in Fig. 8; but which would yield, due to theinertia of the blocks 23, when the shell was suddenly" arrested, as bystriking the target or the water, and the plunger, formed by'the blocks23 and parts carried thereby, would fly forward, compressing the springbuffers 32 and 33, and exploding the primer 34, which is, mounted in thedisk 35, secured at the rear of the chamber for the explosive in theprojectile, as shown in Fig. 3.

To secure the best results, any well known delayed action attachmentshould be provided for the primer in the construction shown in Figs. 2and 4 and in that shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 9.

With both forms of the device the operation would be substantially thesame, that is:

-The fuse would be armed by the flying out under centrifugal action oftwo locking members, and the plunger would be arrested against prematureexplosion owing to the short drop when released; but it would explodethe primer when the motion of the projectile was suddenly arrested as bystriking the target or the surface of the water.

I do not make any claim to the delayed action attachment for the fuse,as there are many well known in the art, which could be used inconnection with my invention.

While I have shown two forms of centrifugally controlled plunger, itwill be obvious that various other forms for accom lishing a similarresult might be adopted, 1f desired, and I do not mean to limit myselfto any details of construction or any combination or arrangement ofparts, except as set out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a projectile adapted to be dropped from air craft, the combinationwith a shell containing high explosive, of a percussion fuse adapted toexplode said high explosive, means for holding said percussion fuseinthe safety position, a spindle journaled in the base of the projectile,a screw propeller secured to said spindle, and adapted to be rotated bythe pressure of the air during the flight of the projectile, andreleasing means automatically controlled by the rotation of said spindleand operated by centrifugal force for releasing said holding means,substantially as described.

2. In a projectile adapted to be dropped from air craft, the combinationwith a shell containing high explosive, a percussion primer mounted insaid shell, a plunger adapted to explode said primer, means for normallyholding said plunger in the safety position, a spindle journaled in thebase of the projectile, a screw propeller secured to said spindle, andadapted to be rotated by the pressure of the air during the flight ofthe projectile, and means automatically controlled by the rotation ofsaid spindle, and operated by centrifugal force for releasing saidplunger holding means while the projectile is fallingthrough the air,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature.

MEADE WILDRICK.

